


Of Bonds Unbreakable.

by TayBartlett9000



Category: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Genre: Bonds, Discovery, Earth, Emotions, Family, Friendship, Gen, Hal/Dave friendship, Home, Science, Unbreakable, Voyage, centient computer, computer, space, spaceship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-15 16:17:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17532050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TayBartlett9000/pseuds/TayBartlett9000
Summary: The Discovery  has returned to Earth after their mission to the moon. Dave Bowman is ready to leave the ship but Hal is not ready to see him leave.  As Bowman talks to Hal for the last time, he  realises that Hal will, in fact, miss him.





	Of Bonds Unbreakable.

The ship glided through the inky blackness of space, a single dot upon the  endless horizon of star spangled darkness. This ship was alone in the infinite. Though it looked like the brightest star of many, the Discovery was the only ship  riding the empty void.

Dave Bowman sighed as he made his final move, completing his own part in the chess game that had already lasted far too long. Hal had won, again.  Though he was   programmed to win only fifty  percent of the time, Dave was  suspicious of the a.i’s actions. Hal seemed to have won every game he had played with him thus far. But then again, who could ever win a round of ches against a computer who’s  IQ was off  the charts? Hal knew Dave well, a bit too well in truth. Dave Bowman supposed that Hal knew precisely which moves he would make   before he made them and knew  how to counter them effectively. ‘Thank God I won’t be on this ship for too much longer,’ He said to himself.

Indeed, Dave Bowman was glad that he, Frank and the  three scientists would not remain on board the Discovery for too much longer. Their  mission had been completed a year or more ago and they  were now tantilisingly close to home.

For a long while, the discovery of the monolith had inthused the world. Dave and Frank had been the most famous people on the planet and their mission had been exulted over for months. The scientists down on Earth  had debated long  over the ramifications of finding the monolith on the moon and were wondering what they would do about it. Such musings did not much effect Bowman. He cared not what the scientists thought. He would have been interested in their discovery  if he wasn’t bored almost to death by the mission that had taken him so far from home. All Bowman wanted now was to return to Earth and to his normal life. Only then would he be able to regain his inthusiasm over the whole ‘monolith on the moon thing.’  

“How long  until we  return to Earth, Hal?” Bowman asked, stretching in his chair and preparing to rise.  It was time for Frank to take over. Bowman needed a sleep. The game of chess with Hal  had sapped him of his   energy.

Hal’s reply came  immediately, but in a strangely somber tone quite unlike his usual calm and soothing voice. “We shall be above the surface of Earth in precisely two days, Dave.”

Bowman frowned. He had never heard a resigned tone of  any kind colouring Hal’s voice before. Hal had always  appeared calm and collected. He had been calm and collected throughout their journey, cleverly keeping the  secret of the monolith from Poole and Bowman until the moment they had seen it. He had  performed his duties of taking care of the Discovery and its systems effectively but now he seemed strangely concerned, even worried.  

“What’s troubling you Hal?” Bowman asked quietly, glancing up to where one of Hal’s red lenses glinted at him.

Hal spoke again, still in that somber tone. “Everything is  functioning normally,  Dave.  All my systems are functional. There is nothing to worry about.”

Bowman shrugged.  He had forgotten for a  moment that Hal was merely a machine.  It was easy sometimes  to forget the fact that Hal had no emotions. He had been a  solid presence on board the Discovery  for the past couple of years and Bowman  found often that he treated Hal very much as if he was part of the living,  breathing crew. Though he knew Hal to be nothing more than a machine, it was as if  he could think and feel just as the humans did. But he could not. Of course he could not.

 Poole entered the room and Bowman  retired gladly to  the privacy of his cabin where he  hoped he would catch a  few hours of shut-eye  before his next shift. Even as he lay down and prepared for the blessed relief of sleep, Bowman could not get his slight worries over Hal out of his mind. If Hal could only mimic human emotions as they had been told, then why was the feeling in his  voice so genuine? If Hal was not capable of real authentic emotion, then why had he sounded so  troubled? Bowman couldn’t answer either of these questions.  

That same  worry accompanied Bowman everywhere he went during every task he undertook for the next two days, as the Discovery flew ever closer to home. Though Bowman and Hal’s conversations were conducted mainly in a calm manner, that trace of worry still seemed to be present in the computer’s voice. Bowman heard it every time Hal answered one of his questions or offered up a piece of information and every time he heard that voice, Dave Bowman grew ever more concerned.

 There was something bothering Hal and he knew it. But what was it?   He gently probed Hal many times, asking what the matter was. But each time Hal gave only a short  answer stating that every aspect of the Discovery’s electrical workings  was running and functioning smoothly. Dave didn’t believe him. The tone in Hal’s voice was telling him far more than the words he was, and more significantly, was not saying. However, Hal refused to enlighten him on the subject.

On the day of the Discovery’s return to Earth, Dave woke up in a state of excitement. He would  soon be walking on solid ground. In  a few hours, Bowman would be  safely home. Tonight he would fall asleep in total silence for the first time in a long time.  though he supposed that sleep would prove illusive for a while. Bowman was now used to the sound of the ship’s engines. The  sound of total silence would be unnerving to him for a while and he guessed that Poole and the others would  experience similar difficulties.

As he walked onto the bridge, Hal wished him  good morning.

“Good morning Hal,” Bowman replied.

“Are you looking forward to arriving back on Earth, Dave?”  Hal asked as Bowman sat down and prepared to execute the final parts of his job.

Bowman nodded eagerly. “I am  yes,” he said brightly, “I am looking forward to it very much. I’ve missed my family.”

Hal agreed. “I  am sure you have.”

Bowman looked up. “I’m sure you’re looking forward to a rest once we return to Earth, aren’t you Hal? It must have been a considerable  task  controlling the Discovery  for us.”

Hal’s next words shocked  Bowman as he replied. “On the contrary, Dave, I shall miss working together with you and Doctor Poole. It has been a  stimulating experience working with you and I do hope that you also enjoyed our time together.”

Bowman nodded, knowing that Hal could see him clearly. “I will miss you, Hal,” he replied, “of  course I’ll miss you.”

“Will you Dave? Are you being truthful?” Hal asked.

Bowman nodded again. “I will, Hal. I won’t forget the days we spent on board this ship.  This mission  has been the most important part of my life, and I don’t think that I could have come so far  if it hadn’t been for you.”

Though Dave Bowman knew that Hal was incapable of smiling, the tone in his voice spoke   of happiness, and if possible a little bit of relief. “I thank you  Dave.  I am glad that you shall miss my company as I shall miss yours. The mission to the moon with you has also been the most important factor of my own existence. Thank  you for this  opportunity.”

Bowman smiled. So that was what had been bothering Hal lately. Hal  had been worried that now their mission was over, no  one would give him a second thought, that nobody on board the Discovery would miss him or  think any more of him once they were back home.  It was strangely sad to think that he would leave Hal alone on the Discovery. He could only hope that he would be able to go on more missions with  the a.i  who was as good as a friend to him. He was glad though that this computer would remember him and would remember also that they had shared a special mission together.

“I will never forget you Hal,”  Dave affirmed as he prepared to collect the last of his things together, “please rest  assured of that. I  will never forget you.”

Hal’s voice was once  again  calm and   surrene as he replied, “and I shall always remember you, Dave. I thank you too for the mission we shared together. I will say goodbye now then.”

Bowman  smiled for the last time at the red lens  above his head. “Goodbye, Hal. I hope we’ll meet again.”

“And I too,  Dave. I am sure we will.”

 


End file.
